Im thinking of going to Southampton for a casual trip....
Can anyone tell me what the main attractions are ..
I have a 1!yr old with me so none of the water park kind of stuff
I m going with my family so I want it to be fun I ve already booked a hotel and now I need some places I can go to
I know about the Harbour with the ships and all but I can t find anything else that is worth visiting in Southampton
PS: no museums pls
Your response in highly appreciated
There aren't any water parks or anything remotely like it in Southampton so that's not going to be a problem. Southampton is not a resort or holiday town, it is very much a working city and major port. You must accept that you will have to drive or get the train for any sort of holidy activies that will satisfy a young family for more than an hour or so. It's just not geared up as a holiday resort.
There are no recreational activities in Southampton apart from a couple of very pleasant green parks for walking and the usual facilities of a city (cinemas, restaurants, shopping, etc.) there is nothing apart from the art gallery, and the Sea City maritime and Aviation museums, which are all very high quality but not really any use for a 1 year old.
However, it is very well located as a base if you are prepared to travel. To the west is the New Forest, easily reachable by frequent train service (to Ashurst, Brockenhurst, Lymington, Sway as the "key" stations) or you can drive it and be in Beaulieu (for the motor museum) in about 30 minutes (the "Beaulieu Road" station is about 40 minutes walk to the village so don't go there by train).
The National Motor Museum is part of a superb park with an overhead monorail, and masses of attractions in Beaulieu Abbey. This is certainly a place for all the family even the toddler will enjoy himself here for the best part of a day.
http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/
Southampton is also a base for the Red Funnel ferry to the Isle of Wight. This is an hour on the car ferry or 30 minutes on the jet-foil passenger-only ferry. The journey takes you down Southampton Water past the Cunard liner terminal and Fawley oil refinery (you will be aghast at the size of the supertankers). If you take your car to the island you will have a great time for a day out. Don't try to do too much - recommend that you take the family to Alum Bay for the needles, the fairground and famous coloured cliffs.
http://www.theneedles.co.uk/chairlift.ph...
OR
You can get to Bournemouth in about 45 minutes by car westwards down the M27/A31 or 25 minutes by train from Southampton. This is the major proper holiday seaside resort town. It has sand beaches, piers and all the things you would expect from a seaside holiday town. If you are not all properly occupied and delighted after a day there then there is no hope.
OR
Go east down the M27 to Portsmouth, this is connurbated with a place called Southsea (look it up on a map). Southsea is also a seaside holiday resort. It's smaller than Bournemouth because it's dwarfed by Portsmouth and both towns are on the end of a small island (Portsea Island, it doesn't look like it at first but it really is an island). Southsea has a beach but it's pebble (Bournemouth is sand). From Southsea you can take the 10 minute ride on a hovercraft to Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
OR
Go north for a half day in Winchester. Visit Winchester Hall for the Round Table or Winchester Cathedral for the vaults, as well as other things in this medieval city that was not bombed out in WW2 or destroyed by 1960s buildings.
Right outside Southampton is Paulton's Park. It regularly wins the Trip Adviser award for best family Theme Park.
To the west of Southampton is The New Forest Wildlife Park (British and European animals + play areas) and Longdown Activity Farm (Working farm with animal encounters and play areas).
There is an indoor play area near Ikea called Jungle Jean'ss
Southampton is not really a holiday destination. Bournemouth further west along the South Coast is a proper resort with beautiful sandy beaches. www.bournemouth.co.uk
Not exactly a holiday destination.
Google the Southampton tourist board.
Hardly anything.
